Top 5 Tuesday: Five Food Flops

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Over my brief 28 years I've witnessed a few major marketing/advertising flops. Now, I was only 4 months old when the New Coke disaster happened, so though it was in my lifetime, it wasn't something I was really aware of.

So, for today's Top 5 Tuesday post, I'll share with you 5 of the worst food marketing/advertising idea FLOPS in my lifetime.*

1. Purple Ketchup, 2000

I get the idea of marketing something to kids. However, kids don't make money and go grocery shopping. Parents were probably grossed out by the idea of their kids slathering french fries in some pile of purple goo, so it was discontinued in 2006.

Fun Fact: Mixing the green version of this ketchup with either the new purple or traditional red ketchup gave you a deliciously tantalizing brown color. Brown goo. Mmmmm....speaking of brown goo...

2. Lay's WOW Chips, 1998

The problem with these puppies is that everyone thought they could eat a lot of them because they were made with this new and magical ingredient called olestra. However, no one told us that olestra is basically of the devil because it will make you best friends with your toilet faster than you could even say, "Wow!" Shortly after the release of these magical fat-free chips, the FDA mandated a warning label be placed on these chips stating that olestra could cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Hello understatement of the century.

People. Stop messing with Oreos. They weren't the 20th century's best selling cookie because they needed fixing! The biggest flop, in my opinion, is the Uh Oh Oreo, now rebranded as the Golden Oreo. Besides the fact that Nabisco messed with a classic flavor, they also branded this as a mistake. Who is going to buy a "mistake" cookie? Not me. Also, they seemed very similar to another delicious cookie that already comandeered the yellow-sandwich-cookie-and-chocolate-filling market. Just stop it. Enough with that mess. Oreos don't need to be changed.**

Fun Fact: These were rebranded as the Golden Oreo and later made with vanilla filling. Gross.

4. Burger King's The King, 2003

Ah, I can't look it for very long. This is one of the scariest mascots, ever. Burger King has never been one of my fave fast food restaurants and this mascot definitely doesn't help. He's weird, he's creepy and he was rightfully retired in 2011.

Fun Fact: Nothing. I hate this guy.

5. Ore-Ida Funky Fries, 2002

Chocolate and Cinnamon-flavored french fries? BLUE french fries? Just no. Trying to captivate on the short-lived purple and green ketchup craze, Ore Ida released funky fries...flavored and/or colored fries. This french fry abomination was short-lived as Ore Ida pulled them from the shelves circa 2003.

Fun Fact: The Sour Cream and Jive flavor was actually potatoes in the shape of rings. So, not only did they commit french fry sacrilege THEY MADE IT LOOK LIKE A HYBRID CHURRO/ONION RING. Shame.

*In my opinion. I know there are probably lots of them, but these are the ones that I know and remember. Strangely enough, they are all food related. :)

**Except for Double Stuf and Mega Double Stuf Oreos. Those are amazing. And no, Nabisco didn't mess with the recipe, so we're good.